L 1 8 X 1X. Elifha relie'l1,ing the IQngs. 1233 A eye ofdivine providence were not Oj>en upon them, when tl:e eye of their care is {but to>•ilrds r.How well did Elifh" in the wars~ The 1\rongcft fquadron of I[rA<l was •virhin that breaft:All-their Armour ofproofe had not fo much fafety & proteOJog as his Mantle:Though the King of Ifraol woulrl tak" no norice ofthe Prophet,yet one of his Courriers did,Btreis Eli!ha rhefo» ofShaph.Jt,rohich powrtd waur on the h•ndsof Elijah; This folbwerofle/;oramknowes tlifh• hy his own name, by his fathers, by his mal\ers:The Court ofTJr.dwas profane, and Idol•trous e- ·nough,yet.even there Gods Prophet had both knowlodg,& honor:His veryfervice toEiij~th was enough to win him reverEce: lt1s btuerto be an atrenc!~t offome man, then to beattenderl by many:That he had powred w<rcr on Eit)••hs handswasinfinuation,enough, that he could powreout wuer tor th<>fc threeKings: The three Kings walkedowne(by the motion of lthofo•ph<t)tothe man of God: It was newes B to fee three Kings going down to the fet vant of him, who ranne before the charet ofAh•b:Religion and necdlity have both of them much powctofhumi!iation I know not whether more:Either zealcor nctd will make a Prophet honored. ' How Oiarply dares the man ofGod eo chide his Soveraigne,the King of r[ratl~ The libertyof the Prophets was no leffe fingular,then thcircallmg: He •hat would borrow their tongue, mull Oiew theircommifliion: As God reproved Kings for their fakes,fo did not they (lick to reprove Kings for his fake:Thus much freedome they muft leave to their fucceffors,that we may not fpare the vices ofthem, whofe perfons we mu !1-Jpare. )ul\ly is I,hon 'tumed offto the Prophe<S ofhis father,and the Prophets ofhis mother: le is bm righe 1nd equall,thac thof~ which we have ma.dc: the comfort,and C ftay ofour pea.:e r,,, -'Jld be the refugeofourexrremity:lf.ourprofperity have made the world mn· Cod,how worthily lhall our death-bedbe choakcd with this exprobration?Neith" wuuld the cafe bear< an Apology, nor the time an expollularion: Ithoramcanno~.. ... x:·:l\\c:,he can complain;he finds chat now three Kings, three king· domes are at the mercy ofone Prophet;it was time for him tofpeak faire; nothing founds from h·m DLlt lamentations and imrearics: Nay,for the Lord bath called thefe three Ki l t;S together to Jeliverthem intothe hand of Moab. Tthornm bath fo much grace •s to confe!fe the impotency ofthofe he had cru(led; and the power of that God whom he had neglected; Every finner cannot fee, and acknowledge the hand of God in bi•lufferings;Aiready hath the diC!reffed Prince gainedfomething D by his mi{ery,None complaines fo much as he; none fcclesfomuch as he; All the reft fuffer for him, and thettfore he fuffers in them all. The man of God who we! fees the infufficicncy of Tehorams humiliatio.layeson Y.et mordoad; As thr Lord /ivtthbifort roh•m I f/•nd, Surtly, rom it not that lrtgard tht prt[tnce•f Jthof!J.tpbat tht King ofludah, !would not loolu ID wardtlm, nGrfee thtt; llehold the double Splfit of Eltjab; the ma(ler was not more bold with the father, then the fervant w•s With the Sonne:Eiifoa was a fubjefr; and a Prophet; He mull fay that as aProphet, which hemight not as a fubj ect; As a Prophet he vvouldnot have lookt :u h•m, vvhom as a fubjea he vvould have bovved to : It is one thing vvhen God Ipeaks by him,another, vvhen he fpeaks ofhimfelfc; that it might 1vel appeare his diOike of fin ftood with his honour of Soveraignty, lth•foaphatgocs E away with that refpect which Ithcram 'miffed ; No leffe doth God & his Prophet regard religious fi ncerity, then they abhorre ldolatry,&profanenejfe:What Oiall not bedone for a !ehofbaphdl? For his fake lh1llthofenvo other Prrnces, and their vafl: Armies live and prevailesl;domand lfrael, whet het fingle or conjoyned, had peri01ed by the drought ofthe defart, by the fword of Moab; One lthofhaphat gives them both life and victory : It is ;n the powerofone good man to oblige a world; we receive tme (though infenfible) favours from the prdencc ofthe righ· teous; Next to being good,it is happy to converfe vith them that are fo: ifwe be not bettered by their example,weare bleftby their protection. · Who wonders not to heare a Prophet call for aMinftrell, inthe middetlofthat mournful diftreffe of lfrael & llld·h~Whowould not have expeeled his Chargeof teues and prayers,rather then ofMulick;How unfeafonable are fongs toan he1vy heart!
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